A multinational team of scientists from Scotland, Germany, and the United States has reported striking parallels between human gestures and those observed in chimpanzees. The findings, published in Current Biology, shed new light on how nonverbal communication functions across species and over evolutionary time, suggesting shared roots in the way primates and humans exchange information without words.
Chimpanzees display an extensive set of paw and body movements that convey clear messages. Some gestures are simple requests or instructions, such as signaling for a pause, inviting another to follow, or indicating that help is needed for grooming or maintenance. These movements form a practical and recognizable vocabulary that operates in everyday social life within chimpanzee communities, demonstrating that gestural communication is a fundamental tool for coordinating behavior just as language is for people.
To understand the rules governing gesture use, the researchers compiled and analyzed more than 8,500 observed movements performed by 252 individual chimpanzees. The study examined the frequency, context, and sequencing of gestures, revealing patterns that reflect intentional communication and social consideration among the animals. The dataset provides a comprehensive view of how gestures are chosen, combined, and timed within real interactions rather than isolated acts.
Most gestural exchanges were brief, yet there were instances where chimpanzees cycled through as many as seven gestures in rapid succession. In these rapid sequences, responses averaged around 120 milliseconds in chimpanzees, compared with the approximate 200 milliseconds typical of human conversational turn-taking, highlighting a striking speed advantage in nonverbal signaling among our closest relatives.
Given that humans and chimpanzees share a close genetic and evolutionary heritage, the rapidity and efficiency of their gestural communication may reflect a common legacy of social interaction. The rapid turn-taking observed in chimps aligns with what researchers interpret as a foundational mechanism for coordinating collaborative activities and maintaining social bonds in group living species.
Another possibility is that the observed brisk gestural exchanges are part of a broader social communication repertoire that extends across diverse species. In mammals such as whales and dolphins, as well as other highly social creatures like bats and hyenas, quick, well-timed signals help synchronize behavior, negotiate roles, and reduce ambiguity during group tasks. The study invites a broader view of communication that encompasses gesture timing as a key component of social intelligence beyond humans and great apes.
Earlier observations in the field and subsequent analyses have noted that facial expressions play a significant role in conveying status and intent within primate societies. The new findings about hand and arm gestures complement these perspectives by showing how different channels of expression work together to shape social dynamics, hierarchy, and cooperation among chimpanzees. Taken together, the work contributes to a more integrated understanding of how nonverbal communication evolves and sustains complex social life across species.